1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a reagent feeder for charging a fixed quantity of reagent into a specimen such as blood or urine collected in a test tube etc., and particularly to a reagent feeder appropriate for charging a fixed quantity of reagent into a number of specimens in order respectively.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
In the case when reagents are charged into a number of specimens of fixed quantity and inspected respectively, it is required that the quantity of reagent in each test tube must be uniform in order to get exact inspection results. It is extremely difficult to supply a very small and fixed quantity of reagent in every test tube by using a pipet etc., so that exact inspection results can not be expected.
In order to cope with the above-mentioned requirement, there have been developed various reagent feeders accomplishing the exact feeding of a fixed quantity of reagent, in which the fixed quantity of reagent is forced to adhere to a sphere made of synthetic resin etc. having a definite standard. Many of the spheres are housed in a case, so that the sphere is charged in each specimen one by one. For example, there are disclosed Published Patent Application (KOKAI) No 62-24147 and Japanese Examined Utility Model Application (KOKOKU) No. 61-6446 etc.
Operation is simple in the finger-push system disclosed in the first noted prior art. In the case of a great number of specimens, however, the operator's fingers become extremely fatigued so that continuous operation becomes impossible, because the operation load is concentrated on his fingers. In the case-slide system disclosed in the later noted prior art, the operator's fingers will be less fatigued and the system is apt to be well-adapted to operation of the great many number of specimens because the entire case is gripped by his hand. However, since the lower end discharge port is pushed upon a port of a test tube etc., the operation will sometimes become difficult when the test tube etc. is installed in an unstable position.
Which system is excellent can not be decided unconditionally as described above, because the suitability of each discharge system differs depending on the number of specimens or the state of the test tube etc. in which the specimen is put, or a preference of operator. Therefore, it is preferable to prepare all of the above reagent feeders and select a most suited reagent feeder from them as occasion demands. However, this way is uneconomical because of the great waste in cost and control.
An object of the invention is to provide a reagent feeder which can be used as both a finger-push system and a slide system by only attaching and detaching a simple auxiliary component to and from a case body depending on a state of operation or an operator preference.